Here are some remarks that I made at the AMA Hawaii Marketer of the Year Awards. They sum up my views on marketing in this post-economic-meltdown world:

I’ve recently joined the academic world and so, on this occasion, I feel compelled to deliver a fifty minute lecture on the principles of marketing … but I won’t.
We’re here today to celebrate those companies and individuals who know those principles and apply them every day.

It’s always a pleasure to recognize marketing excellence, but perhaps this year’s celebration is more noteworthy than usual. The economy is still reeling … and I hope recovering … from what seems to be a lapse in common sense. Excellent marketers, like the ones we’re recognizing today, understand that wealth, success and prosperity are really the result of innovation and creating real value for customers. That’s my principles of marketing lecture in one sentence.

But there were those who believed that the foundation of wealth could be built … upon a foundation of sand. Like all false promises, the world of default swaps and sub-prime loans came crashing down. Unfortunately, the result mya be a shaken confidence in American business.

That’s why it’s so important to celebrate the success of great marketers who understand the core values of our profession … and do it right.

In the face of a tough economic environment, Marriott Resorts Hawai‘i didn’t give up. They took action … and they took to the road to control their destiny and deliver business results.

Bank of Hawai‘i was wise enough to understand that there’s more to technology … than technology. And they built a very successful web business based on a fundamental understanding of their customers and their customers’ needs.

Aloha Air Cargo used a variety of marketing techniques, including branding and product development, to successfully recast and reposition their business.

And Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation applied great state-of-the-art for-profit marketing techniques to the world of non-profits.

These companies are noteworthy, but they’re not unique. Every day in the marketing profession there are those who apply innovation, customer understanding and effective marketing techniques to build business and create wealth the old-fashioned way … by creating customer value.
The role of the American Marketing Association is to support these professional marketers through continuing professional development. The chapter was founded forty years ago, and marketing has certainly changed in those forty years. What hasn’t changed is our commitment to professionalism.
If your organization believes in perpetuating those core values that lead to sustainable business success, we hope you’ll join us in applying them to our businesses every day.